Smart Growth News – November 2, 2012

New Jersey agonizes over whether to rebuild shoreSalon – November 1, 2012
In its tear of destruction, the megastorm Sandy left parts of New Jersey’s beloved shore in tatters, sweeping away beaches, homes, boardwalks and amusement parks. The devastation left the state a blank canvas to redevelop its prized vacation towns. But environmentalists and shoreline planners urged the state to think about how – and if – to redevelop the shoreline as it faces an even greater threat of extreme weather.

From Red Hook to SoCal, Sprawl Puts People at RiskBusiness Week – October 31, 2012
”In general, an industrial [structure] tends to be better built but also tends to be more dangerously sited, because it is often located in flood zones,” says Robert Muir-Wood, chief research officer for the insurance risk modeler Risk Management Solutions.

New York’s Sustainability Catch-22The Atlantic Cities – November 1, 2012
New Yorkers are being punished this week for the city’s over-reliance on the subway. And yet that transit network is the city’s greatest contribution to combating the climate change that could make Sandy-like storms even more likely in the future.

Local news:

Shawnee County extends neighborhood revitalizationThe Topeka Capital-Journal (KS) – November 1, 2012
With Shawnee County’s approval of the extension of the neighborhood revitalization program, only five taxing entities remain to ensure Topeka’s historic and most impoverished areas can receive the rebates for the next five years.

Gas tax for public transportationMemphis Commercial Appeal (TN) – November 2, 2012
To think of public transportation as only an issue for these individuals is to miss the greater good. Public transportation also helps support the economy at large by providing critical access to jobs for that portion of the workforce who would not otherwise be able to get to work.

Now sprawl will save the planet, say Outer Beltway boostersGreater Greater Washington – November 1, 2012
NVTA claims that a Fairfax County energy task force recommended a massive highway-expansion program as the solution to energy issues, and suggests that the county Board of Supervisors endorsed the idea.

Opinion and editorial:

Rejecting the Narrow Framework of “Urban” PlanningCoLab Radio – October 30, 2012
When we call ourselves “urban” and “city” planners, we exclude the rural. Some do this intentionally, believing that there’s nothing there, so there’s nothing for a planner to do. Most do this without malice. But how can we rightfully exclude something we do not fully understand?